Blisters on Spray Painted Wood

Why am I getting blisters on a first coat of spray enamel, or not until the third or fourth coat? All goes well, and then, wham! On the &quot;last coat&quot; these blister pools show up at random spots where there had been no problem before. What the heck is going on?

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Is the wood dry? Did you seal and prime it before spray painting? My guess the lack of a primer is causing adhesion problems. Blistering can also happen in hot or humid conditions. Sometimes laying rattle can paint on too thick can cause problems. It is best to make several thin coats.

More out of curiosity than anything else, what brand of rattle can paint are you using? Did the can say you could use it without a primer or on an unsealed soft wood like pine without something under the paint?

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If you're trying to apply the coats too quickly, the layer or two underneath your current topcoat is trying to release or off gas and that part of the paint chemistry is trying to release into the air but can't because of another coat of paint. Allow at least an hour between coats. I know the rattle cans say 20 minutes, but, that's not nearly enough time in some cases.

If you're trying to apply the coats too quickly, the layer or two underneath your current topcoat is trying to release or off gas and that part of the paint chemistry is trying to release into the air but can't because of another coat of paint. Allow at least an hour between coats. I know the rattle cans say 20 minutes, but, that's not nearly enough time in some cases.

No, no. Sorry buddy. Rattle cans are the one area where you must follow recoating times to the letter. Second coats must be done in under an hour or wait 24-48 hours, depending upon the product. An hour is too long in my opinion, and I've been burned a few times. I hit it a second time as soon as it looks like it's setting up, usually 10-20 minutes, and I'm good. The cans don't give a minimum time between coats, and I don't think you can go too soon. However, if it's still "wet", you could get drips/runs. Once it sets up a too late coat will reactivate the below coat and wrinkle/bubble. That's why it can happen at point in the coating process. I've applied three coats in an hour and it comes out beautiful. I do a lot of stuff with cans.